Rest in Peace
by Caraqueen
Summary: They had died so suddenly, so horribly. And it was his fault. Because of his carelessness, they were gone forever. Oneshot. Robin reflects on his parent's death. Read and review!


**A/N: I'm back! I should probably be updating Keep Holding On, but I've been wanting to do this for a long time. So, enjoy! Sorry if the circus is a little weird; I've never been to one. Oh, and to understand this story, you MUST read Teen Titans Go! issue 47. Seriously. Go read it. You can read them for free at htmlcomics dot com. Except replace dot with a real dot like this: . LOL, duh. XD This story is set after the episode Ding Dong Daddy.**

* * *

Dick swept the broom back and forth over the concrete floor. It was completely silent except for the _swish swish swish_ of the broom. He sighed and leaned on the broom. Honestly, he didn't see why he had to sweep the concrete floor _every day. _It's not like anybody even noticed when it was dirty. Besides, this was supposed to be the _janitor's _job.

Dick quietly set the broom against the wall and took a few steps toward the purple curtains. He knew he should be sweeping, but he figured no one would notice. He poked his head between the opening in the curtains and peered out. He saw the empty bleachers, just waiting to be filled with excited crowds. Dick swept his eyes over the dirt circular floor, the place where tigers jumped through flaming hoops, where elephants performed tricks, where the magician sawed people in half, and most importantly, where he and his parents performed. They were called The Flying Graysons, the best acrobat act around. Dick grinned as he remembered last night's act. He and his parents had tried out a new trick, one of the most complicated acrobatic tricks. The crowd had been absolutely mesmerized. They'd have to do that one again sometime.

"Got yer head up in them clouds again, boy?" Dick snapped his head up, startled at the sound of Old Tom, the janitor's, voice. Dick flushed and grabbed the broom. "Yes- I mean, I was just taking a break-" Dick grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Old Tom laughed so hard his stomach shook. "Now don't get yer britches in a knot, son!" Old Tom winked and nudged Dick in the ribs. "Y' know I never do anythin' around here either. Don't know why they ain't fired me yet."

It was true. Old Tom was often nicknamed Peepin' Tom; often when Old Tom was supposed to be cleaning up, he would instead be watching the circus act through the curtains. Old Tom continued, putting his wrinkled hands in his overall pockets. "So, ye got any new tricks up yer sleeves?"

A sly grin crept up Dick's face. "Guess you'll have to wait and see, old man. We all know you watch us perform we you're _supposed _to be working_." _Dick rested his elbow on a nearby stack of cartons, smiling smugly.

Old Tom held up his hands in surrender. "You caught me!" he said with another laugh. Old Tom sighed and ran his fingers through his hair--or what was left of his hair, anyways. "Guess I'd better be goin'. I gotta clean out them darned bleachers again." He smiled a little. "You best get to work, boy, or we'll all be in trouble!"

Dick nodded. "See ya, Tom," he said, giving a two-fingered wave. Old Tom left and Dick continued sweeping.

*_Later_*

Dick checked his watch. It was 6:55 P.M, later the same day. Five minutes till showtime. He was about to get dressed when Old Tom caught him by the shoulder. "Listen, son. Y' know them ropes backstage, the ones that hold yer parents up?"

Dick nodded impatiently. Four minutes till showtime.

"One of 'em is gettin' weak. Won't hold up much longer. I need you to replace that rope. Okay, son?" Old Tom looked at him seriously.

Dick sighed impatiently. Three minutes. "Isn't that your job?" He said a little rudely. He really needed to get dressed.

Old Tom sighed. "I gotta help the lion tamer with the hoop. So, get on it, boy." With that, Old Tom left as quickly as he came.

Dick sighed. Could Tom have picked a better time? He checked his watch. Two minutes. _I'll just do it later. Besides, that rope's probably just fine. Everyone knows Old Tom stretches the truth sometimes. _Dick started to dash for the dressing room when somebody's hand grasped his shoulder _again._ Dick whirled around. "What is it this time?!" he snapped.

A sandy haired woman looked at him, a little surprised. "Now, honey, don't be rude."

Dick bit his lip. Oops. "Sorry, Mom," he apologized. "I've only got a minute and I'm not ready-"

His mother interrupted him. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. A circus critic is coming tonight. Your father and I wanted to try a new act."

"What does this have to do with me?" Dick demanded, glancing at his watch. One minute.

His mom ruffled his hair. "It might be better if you skipped tonight. I don't want you to get hurt."

Dick frowned and readjusted his hair. "But Mom-"

"No buts. Why don't you go see a movie with your friends?"

Dick crossed his arms. "It's not fair."

"I don't have time for this, Dick." she said apologetically. "Sorry honey. But this might be our big break." She kissed him on the forehead and slipped out of the room.

Dick glared at her protruding back. "They just don't want me in the way," he grumbled. "Afraid I might mess up their perfect little act."

He could hear the crowd cheering as the lion tamer finished his act. Then the announcer's voice, slightly muffled by the curtains. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let's welcome our last act...The Flying Grayson's!"

_The Flying Grayson's minus one._

Dick slipped through the curtains and into the crowd. He watched his parents sail through the air, backflipping, and landing perfectly on the wooden planks._ I could do that_, he thought, still angry about not being in the show.

The crowd cheered wildly, some even throwing popcorn in the air. Dick looked around at the crowd. Then up at his parents. His eyes wandered to the ropes holding up the beams, that were holding his parents. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. One of the ropes was indeed breaking. In fact, it was about to break. Dick jumped up. He tried to say something, anything- but his voice wouldn't work. He tried to scream, but nothing came out.

Dick watched in silent horror as his mom jumped from the board she was on to grab his father's hands. _No,_ Dick thought. He had never felt so helpless in all his life. The rope holding his father got thinner and thinner...

A few of the people in the crowd noticed and began to point, horrified. His mom grabbed onto her husband's hands and then..the rope broke under the pressure. The crowd screamed. Some were crying. One person out of them all was screaming the loudest..it might have been Dick....he couldn't tell because of the dizziness that had overtaken him. As his parents fell, it seemed to go in slow motion. And there was nothing he could do about it. A single tear coursed down Dick's cheek. Just before his parents hit the ground...

* * *

Robin jolted awake. Another nightmare. It seemed that often nowadays, he would have nightmares about his parent's death. The memory was still so vivid; as if it had only been yesterday. Robin shook his head in attempt to forget about it. No luck. He sighed and climbed out of bed. He knelt down and poked his head under his bed. He scooted backwards, pulling out his metallic gray briefcase. Robin set it on the table and opened it. It had taken a race against Ding Dong Daddy, but he had gotten his briefcase back.

Robin pulled out the poster of him and his parents. _The Flying Graysons, _it said on the top in fancy black letters. Robin ran his finger across the image of his parents. They looked so proud. So happy.

He pulled off his mask to let a single tear run down his cheek. Robin slammed his fist down on the table. They had died so suddenly, so horribly. And it was his fault. Because of his carelessness, they were gone forever. Another one of his stupid mistakes. Robin looked up at the newspaper clippings covering his wall. _The Flying Graysons' tragic death,_ one newspaper heading read. Another said, _Bruce Wayne adopts Dick Grayson. __Batman gains a new sidekick: Robin, Boy Wonder, _a third one read. Robin tore them down and angrily stuffed them in the trash.

Robin, or Dick back then, had fled the circus. He ran as far as he could, to get away from the image of his dead parents. Away from all those people. Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman, had found him asleep in the park. From then on, Batman took him under his wing, serving as a foster parent.

Robin put his mask back on and grabbed his poster. He knew what he needed to do.

* * *

Robin stood, the wind blowing his cape as he stared at his parents' gravestones. He hadn't been here since the funeral. Robin looked at the poster for a long time, then set it down gently on the tombstones along with a bouquet of roses.

"Rest in peace." he said quietly as he walked away. The sun's rays beamed down on the tombstones, illuminating the words engraved on both of them.

_The Flying Graysons: may your legacy live forever._


End file.
